Harry Potter and the Witch of Good and Evil
by Never Ending Read
Summary: The war is over. Life moves on. New mysteries arise. A new dark force awakens and through it all Harry, Ginny & Co just want to enjoy their lives and take the opportunities given to them. *Previously Titled "Take Our Time"
1. Chapter 1

**Title Change! Previously "Take Our Time". Beta read by Courtney!**

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At first, Harry lay in confusion. Every day following the war, he woke the same, unable to understand why he felt comfortable and warm, surrounded by noise. Even after a few months, everything in him couldn't believe that the fight was over. Harry immediately found his wand and gave it a lazy wave. His glasses, from an unknown location on the bedside table, flew in front of his face and gently settled themselves on the bridge of his nose. Once able to bring the room into focus, he sat bolt upright, his back flush against the wall. Standing in front of him loomed Ron.

"Morning," Ron greeted. He then slowly raised both hands in surrender, a sad ghost of a smile on his lips.

Harry lowered his wand and mumbled a sorry to Ron. Though it would have been Ron's fault if he'd gotten stunned to the other side of the room.

"What is it?" Harry asked trying to shake off his racing pulse and the general irritability Ron's jump scare had caused him.

"Bad dreams, mate?" Ron lowered his arms. "You were talking in your sleep again."

"Was I?" Harry asked genuinely. He couldn't remember having dreamed at all.

"Are they getting better then?" Ron asked as he took a seat on his bed opposite Harry's.

"They're still there, but yeah, I guess. I'm not waking up sweating in terror anymore."

Harry and Ron shared a significant look. Harry knew that they were both thinking the same thing. Harry's night terrors may never be as bad as they used to be since the piece of Voldemort's soul was no longer inside him. He didn't give voice to that thought and Ron was tactful enough not to say anything either. Ron rubbed his palms on his jeans, a concern washing over him.

"What else, Ron?" Harry asked.

"We were getting worried. It's almost midday. People will start arriving soon. Mum and Ginny sent me up here to check on you."

Then Harry remembered what that day was going to be. The sounds that had woken him fell to the background, distorted and muted. He swung his legs over the side of the bed and didn't answer Ron's question.

"I'll be down soon."

Ron stood and made his way tentatively to the door. "Right, Mum wanted me to remind you that you'll be expected to say a few words."

Harry looked up at his friend blankly.

"You don't have to of course, but you know, she thought... I mean you won't be the only one speaking."

"Thanks, Ron. Has Hermione arrived yet?"

Now Ron looked troubled for an entirely different reason. "No. She was supposed to be here in time to help mum and Ginny, but no word from her yet."

"I wouldn't worry," Harry reassured his friend quickly. "Muggle travel can be very unpredictable. She and her parents probably got held up at the airport for a few hours."

"That's normal, that is?"

"Happens all the time," Harry assured him.

"Right."

"I'll be down soon," Harry repeated.

Ron nodded and left. Harry could hear him thundering all the way down the stairs.

After today, two and a half months after the Battle of Hogwarts, the last of the funerals would be concluded.

Personally, Harry had gone to as many as he could. Those who had died at Hogwarts had raised their wands protecting him. He went to their funerals as a way of saying thank you and goodbye. Thank-you to both the families and the deceased, and goodbye to the one who had laid down their lives, paying the ultimate price. Many of the families didn't bother him as they had their own grief to deal with. Harry was grateful for this. He went, paid his respects, said goodbye to those he had known as schoolmates and members of the Order, and left before his own grief could overwhelm him.

The times that parents and friends crowded him, thanking him for all he had done for the ones they had lost, for his fight, saying how honored they were to have him there, was always too much to bear. After these encounters, the darkness he had hoped would have left when the piece of Voldemort's soul within him had died, came back to claim him. It was always a few days before he could shake the need to be completely isolated. None of the Weasley's said a word against his behavior. They understood. They were all still grieving as well.

Today, would be the last burial for those who had died during the battle and it was someone Harry knew well. With this goodbye, Harry knew he would never be done saying farewell to those who had lost their lives in the battle, but it would be the last time he felt pulled to make a public appearance to do so. Setting his wand back down on the side table, he rose, showered and dressed, and then steeled himself as he descended the stairs into another long day.

The first thing Harry noticed was the food. It was everywhere. On every available surface in the kitchen, many of the tables in the living room, some of the platters were not only holding their assigned food, but other platters of food as well, some were magicked to float above others, and on top of it all, by the way Molly was still marching around the kitchen, more food was in the process of being made.

"Ah, Harry," Mrs. Weasley said loudly as she turned and spotted him at the bottom of the stairs, "Help yourself, dear, you must be starving."

Harry was very hungry. The last few days he'd had back to back funerals to attend and hadn't given much thought to eating in the time between them all. Harry moved up to the counter and grabbed a few meat pies to munch on as his eyes continued roaming over the many options available.

"Mrs. Weasley, all of this isn't going to Andromeda's is it?"

At that moment, Ginny turned from a corner of the kitchen Harry had not noticed over the mountains of food.

"I think the bird got slightly overcooked, Mum, but people should still be able to eat it fine," Ginny announced as she set the platter down on top of another. The dish immediately started to float above the one below, leaving enough room for people to comfortably grab at the grub underneath.

"Hi, Harry," Ginny addressed him, not fully managing to smile. Harry wasn't sure when the laughter would return to them all. He hated not seeing Ginny's smile.

"Hi." Harry tried to finish chewing so he could say more, but Ginny had turned her attention back to the task at hand.

"Of course not," Molly addressed him, answering the question he had asked before Ginny's announcement about the burnt bird, "only a few dishes will be going with us." She scanned over the piles of food and Harry saw her shoulders sink a little. He was sure she was only just then taking in exactly how much she had made. "This is for everyone who will be returning here."

Harry nodded. Molly frowned.

"It does seem like too much doesn't it?"

In the days that followed the war, any one of them had been in danger of bursting into tears or running from the room. They had all slowly stopped feeling the need to cry so violently, even though the sadness would still be there for a while yet. Molly had been the last to subdue her tears. Harry had seen if often enough, in moments like these, they were ready to fall without warning. Harry, seeing this was where she was headed, tried to get out in front of her. There would be enough tears from all of them later. There was no need to jump the gun.

"Of course not, Mrs. Weasley. Most of this will get eaten and people will be grateful to take some with them, I'm sure," Harry paused as Molly continued to look on over the food. "Why don't you take a break? We'll need to leave soon. You can go have a nap, freshen yourself up. You've done so much already."

As if she had been waiting for an excuse to stop, Molly deflated in front of him. She walked over to him, making sure to stay clear of the edges of the counters so nothing came tumbling off the tops, and placed a hand on his cheek.

"You're sweet. I think I will go have a lie-down."

She turned and was up the stairs before Harry could respond. He set the second pie he had been holding back onto the platter untouched. His stomach didn't feel that hungry anymore.

"Thank you, Harry." Ginny sighed as she set another platter on the overfull counter. "She's been up since dawn."

Harry pointed to all the food. "I believe you."

Ginny came up to his side and pulled him into a hug. He knew she was trying to comfort him. From anybody else he wouldn't have wanted the comfort, but he would never complain where Ginny was concerned. Harry hugged her back, relaxing into the embrace. Their grief flowed between them like a current or a wind Harry could feel. Ginny's to his. His to Ginny's and back again. Each giving and taking as the other needed, carrying the burden, if only for a moment, so the other didn't have to. They stayed like that, Harry burying his nose in Ginny's hair and inhaling slowly. He pulled away, his emotions threatening to run away from him. Two months he had lived with the knowledge that Remus was dead, Tonks at his side. Two months he grieved for the friend he had and the man he had just begun to know. Today Remus would be laid to rest beside his wife.

The mass funerals that had taken place over the last month were ending for the many who had lost their lives. This was the one Harry had been unable to face right away, for many reasons. He had spent several days mostly sleeping. He, Ron, and Hermione all had. Then he had launched himself into helping Molly with Fred's funeral. Though she and Mr. Weasley had protested at first, Harry had remained resolute in his decision to handle all the expenses for the burial. Ginny was the one who had finally convinced them to allow Harry this one small thing. Then he had attended as many funerals as he could for the Fallen Fifty from that first wave of attacks. Though he couldn't make it to all of them. St. Mungo's had been holding Remus for him. The entirety of the Order was helping with arrangements and expenses for Remus, however, it had been a unanimous and unspoken agreement that Harry was to have final say in all the final decisions.

Andromeda had wanted Tonks and Remus buried together at the same time, but Harry had not been able to hand him over so soon. Tonks had been one of the first to be buried after the war along with Fred. Though Harry agreed that Remus' final resting place should be beside his wife, on Andromeda's own land, Tonks had been laid to rest before him and had been waiting for her husband's return since.

When the time for Remus' burial had come, they all stood in Andromeda's kitchen, along with other members of the Order and various friends and acquaintances that Remus had known. Harry gazed at the gathered silently. Apart from the Order, he didn't know anybody else assembled there. Like his parents, Sirius, Fred, Dumbledore, and countless others, it had taken their deaths for Harry to realize he didn't know anyone as well as he should, as well as he had thought he did. The exceptions being Ron and Hermione. A hand squeezed his own. He looked down past his right shoulder to see Ginny staring up at him, trying to offer him comfort. Still deep in thought, he frowned at her. Even Ginny he did not know well enough. He had grown up around her since he was twelve, had fallen in love with her when he was sixteen. He knew her beauty, her power, but apart from that he didn't know much about the smaller workings that made up her.

Harry turned back to the crowd. Remus. The last of James' friends from his school days were gone. His last link to his parents and to Sirius was gone. Their paths had ended badly for all of them. In many ways, what he and his friends had gone through could be compared to his parents' time at Hogwarts and their experiences fighting in the war, but unlike them, they had found a better future.

Harry heard a cry. He turned his head to see Andromeda bobbing Teddy in her arms. He had only seen the baby once before. When they had last been at Andromeda's to say goodbye to Tonks. Harry remembered what Remus had told him in the forest, right before Harry had offered himself to Voldemort. Teddy would grow up loved with all the true knowledge of who his parents were and why they died.

People were milling around telling stories. Harry stood on the outside of different conversations, listening in but never participating. The few memories he had of Remus he wanted to keep for himself. A part of him felt that if he were to share what he knew, then the memory would start to fade, and he didn't want to lose the little bit of information he had.

He wanted to hold Teddy and to have a conversation with Andromeda about Teddy's future, about what Remus wanted the boy to know, but there would be time later for the details. Now they were all moving out to the expansive yard, squished together around Tonks' grave and the newly laid to rest Remus' in preparation. An officiator had been brought out to honor Remus, and the friends he'd had, but other than that, the ceremony had been kept small.

Only a few people spoke. Harry among them. Remus' past ran deep with his own. The time they had known each other was just as rich as their entwining past. Remus was his professor, his friend, and his family. He would carry on the ideals and the values Remus had taught him directly and indirectly by being the kind, just man Harry had known him to be. Just as Remus had been a part of his life, he would be a part of Teddy's, helping to keep the baby's father alive for the child as he knew Remus had wanted. Harry had to pause several times to collect the right words for his feelings and the truths he knew needed to be spoken.

When he was done, he moved to the back of the crowd, not wanting the company of anyone in that moment. He thought he had been ready to send Remus off. Harry had thought he would be able to grieve and move on the way he had been able to do with Sirius. Maybe it was the fact that this time there was an actual body to bury or that Remus was in fact the last link to his past. Whatever it was, Harry found he could not bear it and he didn't want witnesses to his grief anymore. When he found his way to the back of the crowd and the last looks had been given to him, he threw his invisibility cloak over himself, something he had not stopped carrying with him after the end of the war. He did not run from the crowd.

Harry did not leave Andromeda's. Instead, he made his way back to the front and stood beside Remus' headstone, watching all the others. Ron looked around for him but soon gave up and returned with the others to the house. Ginny gave up less easily. She walked through the crowd once. Twice. Three times before conceding that he was not among the others. Then finally, he was alone. He sat on the ground leaning against the headstone, closed his eyes, and ruminated on his and Remus' time together and on the last words Remus had ever spoken to him.

Soon the noise level from the house grew more and more quiet. Harry got to his feet and made his way toward the back door. Pulling off the cloak and carefully stowing the garment back into his pocket, Harry reentered the house. The only remaining guests were the Weasley clan. They all turned as one as Harry entered the house. He nodded at them but didn't say anything.

"We were just about to head out, Harry, dear." Mrs. Weasley stated.

Harry looked from all of them to Teddy and Andromeda. He knew once he left Andromeda's house that day, the rest of his life would demand attention and he had no reason to put it off any longer. There were still threats out there that needed to be eliminated. There were tons of protocols and unanswered questions that needed putting right. In this post Voldemort world, it was better for him to start learning where his place was in the new era. His bigger purpose had been fulfilled, but he could still be of use. Starting, with the baby in that very room.

"You all go on ahead." His tone had taken on the authority he had found when putting his decisions at Shell Cottage into action. "I'll catch up with you in a bit."

The last few weeks he, Ron, and Hermione had finally begun to unstick themselves from each other, daring to let the others out of their sight for increasing amounts of time. Those first few months, they could not stand to be even a room apart from each other. Where one went, the other two followed, even if it meant waiting around or going on unnecessary errands. Hermione had eventually felt comfortable enough to enlist Kingsley's help in her parents' return. The healing of their memories and the return trip would be traumatic and stressful enough for the muggles without Harry and Ron tagging along. Though Ron had tried longer than Harry to convince Hermione to allow him to go with her.

The assembled all nodded. Only Ron, and Ginny hesitated. Eventually, Ron nodded too. Harry had spoken to him offhandedly about Teddy. Ron understood his reasons for wanting to speak with Andromeda. Ginny looked positively defiant.

"I think someone should stay with you, Harry."

She wasn't asking, but neither was Harry. "I'll be alright Ginny. You go on ahead with the rest." He nodded to them all and one by one they disapparated, Ginny holding on to her mother's arm. Despite being nearly seventeen, she had not been able to study the art of apparition in her sixth year due to the low leadership quality at Hogwarts.

Harry held out his arms, offering to take Teddy from Andromeda. "Have a seat, you've been standing since we got here."

She handed Teddy over, made tea for the both of them, and then sat down in a comfy chair. Harry sat opposite her, balancing Teddy in his arms. Soon he would be able to sit up on his own and be a bit more active in his play time. Harry stared down at the baby for a few minutes, switching from thinking he looked more like Remus one minute and then changing his mind and favoring Tonks.

"Harry, I know Remus and Tonks named you godfather," Andromeda began. Harry looked up at her and nodded to show he was paying attention before looking back down at Teddy. "Remus also warned me that you might want to... take care of him." She said the last shakily.

"Of course, I will help take care of him, Andromeda. Anything you need."

Andromeda wrung her hands in her lap and watched as Harry cocooned his godson. "So, you wouldn't want to keep him round the clock?"

Her meaning took a moment to sink in. Harry looked back up at her seriously.

"Remus," Harry began, but he was cut off.

Andromeda scooted to the edge of her seat. The worry plain on her face. "You are of age and as godfather you have every claim to him. In many cases like this, you would be a court's preferred guardian. I would understand if you were to claim him, but I am capable. Nymphadora was my only child..."

"Andromeda," Harry said firmly. He scooted forward, taking great care not to jostle Teddy too much. "Remus wanted me as godfather, knowing I would give Teddy every attention and opportunities I had and hoped for from my own godfather. I'm only seventeen. I am in a position to help you financially, but I know nothing about raising a baby full time. I only ask that you allow me all the time with him I am able."

Andromeda smiled tearfully. Harry stood and gave Teddy back to her after nuzzling the baby's head for a moment.

"Of course, Harry. You'll always be welcome here, anytime."

"Thank you. If you don't mind, I'll be going now."

With his heart both heavy and full, Harry disapparated back to the Burrow already mentally planning his next visit with Teddy. Once home, Harry arrived to find the food all claimed by members of the Order who had stopped by to raise a glass to their fallen brother. The rest had been put away. Ginny and Ron sat in the living room each lost to their own thoughts. Ginny was stroking Crookshanks, staring at the wall, though Harry knew she wasn't studying the decor. Ron was rereading an old letter from Hermione.

Harry checked the time and realized just how late Hermione was. His gaze moved from the clock back to Ron who was watching him. They understood each other perfectly. Ron jumped to his feet and handed Harry the letter he had been reading. Harry had read it before. It was the last letter Hermione had sent them, the one stating her date and time of arrival. Something was wrong. Hermione was never late.


	2. Chapter 2

**Beta read by Courtney! I may like to write, but that doesn't mean I know how. Courtney has been essential to the process.**

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Harry read the letter over and over. Hermione was almost five hours late meeting them. Surely, if her flight had been delayed that long she would have sent word to them by now. Harry handed the letter back to Ron, a plan already formulating in his head. Ron stood at his side anxious. He scanned the letter over and then turned his attention back to Harry, waiting for a plan. Harry began pacing the small room. There were several ways they could handle this, but Harry wasn't sure which they should follow.

He stopped suddenly next to Ron and leaned in close to whisper, "Will the Deluminator work?"

Just as Harry had not stopped carrying the invisibility cloak everywhere, Ron always had the Deluminator on hand.

Ron plunged his hand into his pocket feeling for the small device. "Possibly, but I don't think it would work for two people. The one time I used it, I heard Hermione's voice. It's been dead quiet." They both stood there frowning. "Couldn't we just apparate to her?"

"We don't know where she is, Ron. We could try her house, but I don't feel comfortable apparating directly into her home, and we couldn't risk the surrounding muggles."

At that point, Ginny stepped up to them. "Are you two alright? What's going on?" She asked hurriedly after catching sight of their worried expressions.

"Nothing."

"It's Hermione."

Both Harry and Ron said at once. Ginny frowned at Ron and then turned her attention to Harry.

"What about Hermione?"

"She was supposed to be back by now," Ron answered his sister.

Ginny looked from one to the other. "How late is she?"

Harry answered this time. "Five...almost six hours."

Ginny now looked sick. Her focus flicked from Harry to Ron. "What do we do?"

She and Ron both turned to Harry.

"Well, we can't apparate to her, not without a little more information." Harry muttered.

The Dursley's had never taken him with them on family trips and holidays. There wasn't much past the general knowledge of muggle traveling that Harry understood. Before talking to Kingsley, who had helped Hermione arrange travel plans, or apparating directly to Hermione's house, they needed more information.

Hermione was late, yes. There could be several reasons for this. Harry did know that muggle traveling could be unpredictable at times, and as he had tried to reason before, her itinerary could have been pushed back. Still, they couldn't leave anything to chance. They needed to know for sure.

Hermione had been adamant about collecting her parents herself. So much of the planning she had done alone except for the part she asked the Minister to do, which involved bigger details that she could not handle alone. The only thing she had kept Harry and Ron up to date on was how the preparations were going, but none of the finer details.

Harry broke from their little circle and took the stairs as fast as he could without tripping himself. The other two quickly followed. Harry cursed himself. Letting Hermione only divulge what was absolutely necessary was a vice he and Ron had settled into during their school days. If Hermione was researching, reading, pouring over every source she could get her hands on to find the answers they needed, they always left her alone to do it, only occasionally opening a book themselves to help.

This time had been no different. Everyday Hermione had been leaving the Burrow for extended periods of time. At first, he and Ron had felt edgy and concerned. Hermione had only left for an hour at a time. Then, her planning prolonged and she found herself keeping away from home for longer periods of time and Harry and Ron's nerves eventually quieted too. Hermione leaving was just her going on another trip to the library. She always came home. Though they hadn't been a part of the step by step process, Harry knew that Hermione would have kept a complete record of everything she would have found helpful.

Harry stopped moving upwards. Ron and Ginny caught up and Ginny raised her eyebrows at Harry who had his hand poised over a doorknob. Her door. She and Hermione had been sharing a room as they always had when Hermione came to visit.

Harry motioned to his hand. "May I?"

Ginny nodded once. Harry swung the door open and, without preamble, moved to Hermione's side. On her bedside table were several folders. All were labeled. Some had to do with legal paperwork and regulations that Hermione had to sign and get approved. He moved one folder off the top stack and repeated the process until he found what he was looking for.

Picking up the folder labeled Travel, Harry opened it, laying the thick stack of papers on Hermione's bed, and began to thumb through them. Her flight itinerary was nestled amongst the papers as he had hoped it would be. He read over the document slowly. The page had tons of information crammed onto it, and he wasn't sure exactly where to find the details he needed.

Once Harry was satisfied, he handed the paper over to Ron, turned back to Hermione's bed, and began filing the pages back into the folder, returning everything to the way Hermione had left them. When Harry turned back to Ron and Ginny, Ron was still pouring over the page he had been handed. Ginny was pressing further and further into his side, trying to read the page around his arm. Ron thrust the paper in front of her when it appeared that he would get nothing more from it. Ginny carefully scanned down the page, then slowly handed the paper back to Harry. Harry took it and carefully folded and put it in his pocket. He grinned at the two gingers. They now had a lead. The other two didn't seem to share in his enthusiasm. He continued grinning at them, but they remained expressionless.

"What did that paper mean?" Ron asked.

Harry instantly frowned at himself. Of course Ron and Ginny wouldn't understand most of what was printed on that page.

"That's all the information on Hermione's flight. We can contact the airline now." Harry explained.

Ginny frowned. "And the air people will tell us where Hermione is?"

Harry grinned at her. "They will tell us where her plane is."

Harry lead them out of the room and back down the stairs. As they made their way down, Harry explained, "All we have to do is call the airport and get the information on the plane, but there's a chance that it has been delayed somewhere."

They found themselves at the bottom of the stairs facing each other in their circle. Ginny's expression was determined, but Ron was beginning to get red around the ears.

"You said there's a chance the plane was delayed?"

Harry stood staring at his friend. All the possibilities of how air travel could go wrong flashed through his mind. He would never in a million years enlighten his friend to those horrors, especially during a time when they were both worried about someone they loved.

Instead Harry stressed, "There's a small chance it was delayed."

From nowhere, Ron's nose was an inch from his own. The red had not only consumed his ears but his entire face and neck as well. Rarely had Harry seen his friend's anger go from nothing to boiling over like this.

"A chance!" Ron roared in Harry's face.

Ginny stomped toward her brother, ready to defend Harry. Harry put up his hand to stop her shaking his head. Ginny backed off and agreed to let Harry handle Ron. There was a time when Harry would have matched Ron's anger with his own, but he felt strangely calm. He knew exactly where Ron's emotions were coming from.

"We need to go and get the information. We can't do anymore without it." Harry tried to reason with him.

Ron tried to force Harry back a step, but Harry didn't budge. "This is Hermione. HERMIONE! We can't leave anything to chance."

Now Ron was in dangerous territory. Harry's anger rose to meet Ron's. Harry's expression took on a devastating glare. He took a step toward Ron, even though their noses were already touching. Ron backed up as Harry advanced on him.

"I KNOW IT'S HERMIONE! I'm doing everything I can to find her. I love her too!"

Ginny took a few retreating steps away from them. Harry noted the movement out of the corner of his eye and his anger fled from him. Ron, however, was still gunning for a fight.

"Ron, it's Hermione," Harry repeated his friend's words back to him. "We are going to find her." Harry was calm once again. "Now think," Harry said, taking a step back from Ron. "If we find out for sure where her plane is, we can better determine where to look next for Hermione."

Harry and Ron didn't look away from each other. As the seconds ticked by, Ron slowly returned to a normal color. When he was completely calm, he nodded at Harry. Ginny had kept her distance through the process. When Ron was back on board, Harry held out his hand to her. Ginny's right eyebrow rose, but she took his offered hand.

Harry grabbed a hold of her and brought Ginny back into their circle. However, he didn't let go of her hand. His best friend was missing. His other best friend could be expected to explode again at any moment. He hadn't felt this rushed since they had hunted for the last Horcrux during the war. Harry needed the comfort holding's Ginny had provided him. The fact that she didn't pull away Harry took as a good sign. That, and the fact he knew their next move would only upset her further.

"Have your wand?" Harry pointedly asked while only looking at Ron.

"Where are we going?" Ginny asked, squeezing his hand.

"You're not coming Ginny." Ron spat.

"I bloody well am."

"No," he looked to Harry for help, "you're still underage."

Harry was frowning at both of them. A big part of him wanted Ginny to come along, but the other part of him, the part that wanted to keep her safe, agreed with Ron about her age. Ginny's smile faded slightly but she didn't say anything.

"Where are we going, mate?" Ron asked this time.

"Into Muggle London."

Ginny wouldn't let go of Harry's hand.

"Ginny, please let go," Harry said again, his impatience growing.

"No. I'm coming with you."

Ron stomped up to her, his patience running out before Harry's. "Let go of him, Ginny. You are being childish! Hermione could be in danger and we have to go. We've wasted enough time as it is."

Ginny clutched harder. Without saying a word Harry pulled his wand and aimed a jinx at her hand. She pulled it away with a small gasp. His jinx did not cause her harm but merely made her hand seem to fall asleep enough for her to release him. He hated drawing his wand on her, but frankly, he agreed with Ron. They had agreed not to bring Ginny into anything dangerous. The way it was looking, danger would be exactly what they would find once they got to Hermione's. She glared at him, shock still on her face.

"Ginny, we'll send you a patronus as soon as we know something."

Harry stepped over to Ron's side, both facing a now thunderous Ginny, and apparated at the same time. Trying not to think about Ginny, Harry concentrated hard on his destination, the grip on his wand tightening.

Harry and Ron popped into the back alley of The Leaky Cauldron, the space between the wizard pub and Diagon Alley. As soon as they had gotten their bearings, they made their way, not into the busy high street of Diagon Alley, but into the pub. The owner of the bar, Tom, stopped his activity and stood straight to stare at the pair of them. He had been bent over a table in the process of cleaning it. Harry nodded and waved to him, trying not to be awkward. Ron managed a nod. Before either of them could continue on their way, Tom threw the rag down on the table and stepped around the many seatings to reach their side.

Since the end of the war, Harry had not ventured out into public much. The funerals were one thing. They were a kind of privacy all their own. He had also been back and forth to the Ministry several times, but Harry hardly counted that either. Though he knew there were many shopping and living places that only inhabited wizard communities, such as Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade, Harry had yet to visit either. Not that he had much need to wander around either location.

But as the manager made his way through the tables toward him, Harry did not grumble to himself, though his chest tightened with the expectant interaction. If he was to be an Auror soon, traveling around, gathering intel, doing the equivalent of a Muggle uniformed police officer and private detective all in one this was as good a time as any to learn how to handle the public around him. Harry stood up straight just as Tom reached him and, as he expected, shook his hand.

"Thank you, Mr. Potter, for all you did for the wizarding world." Tom was humble and sincere in his generosity. "Please, is there anything I can help you with?"

Harry shook his head. "No, thank you. We are in a bit of a rush, actually."

With their handshake done, Tom turned his attention to Ron and gave him a firm shake as well. "Then I won't keep you. Hope to see you back."

"Thank you, Tom."

Tom went back to the abandoned table he had been cleaning and Harry and Ron continued through the pub to the muggle streets beyond. They stood on the sidewalk, the muggles weaving around them. Harry looked up and down the street trying to get an idea of which direction to head in. How much time did they have realistically? If Hermione had been kidnapped or had been in an accident, how much time did they have before their window for finding clues disappeared?

"Excuse me!" Harry called, waving down a passing man.

The man stopped for him and waited with no patience. "Yes, what?"

"Do you know where the nearest coffee shop is?" Harry asked.

The man pointed to Harry's left. "Two blocks down turn right."

"Great, thanks."

They made their way a few stores down before Ron asked, "Coffee? We're stopping to get coffee?"

They were forced to wait by traffic lights before it was deemed safe for them to cross the road. "No. They'll have a phone we can use."

Ron nodded and his pace quickened.

They found the shop with no issue. It was exactly where the man had said it would be. Harry and Ron entered. There were a few people lounging around, talking, drinking coffee, or working on various computer devices. Harry moved through the room slowly searching the walls for a guest phone. Ron had been momentarily distracted by the patrons around the room. Harry thumbed his shoulder and pointed to the back wall. Ignoring everyone else in the shop, the pair moved over to the phone. Harry pulled the folded piece of paper out of his pocket. He scanned the page and then dialed the number. The entire call took less than five minutes. Once Harry gave the flight details, the woman on the other end of the line told him,"That flight arrived on time, sir. Three Grangers were on board."

Harry hung up the phone. Ron was bouncing on his heels beside him. Harry took a few steadying breaths before turning to Ron. "Her flight wasn't delayed."

"Then where is she, Harry?"

"We need help. I think it's time we talk to Kingsley."

There was a narrow alley a few doors down from the coffee shop. Harry and Ron rushed to the center.

"The visitors' entrance is too slow." Harry explained in a rush. "We should pop back to the burrow, give an update, and floo from there."

Ron agreed. They made sure no one was around before popping away from the scene.

Ginny was waiting in the living room when Harry and Ron rushed through the door. Ginny glared at Harry. He knew they would need to talk about him jinxing her, preferably before she decided to retaliate. She stood to her feet and rushed to meet them as they entered the room.

"What did you find out?"

"Her plane arrived on time. Now we have to go see Kingsley." Harry explained. There would be time for finer details later, but for now, every second mattered.

"I'm going with you. I hate that this is happening and I'm not doing anything to help."

"Not a chance." Ron said automatically already standing beside the fireplace.

Ginny made to argue, but Harry, not wanting to lose anymore time and to make up for his attack on her earlier, jumped in.

"There's no harm in it, Ron. This part isn't dangerous. We'll see what we find at the Ministry and work it out from there."

Ginny beamed. Ron frowned at them both, but he wanted to get moving as well and didn't have time for the argument either. He grabbed the bag of floo powder and held it out to Harry. Harry took up a pinch and stepped into the flames.

"Ministry of Magic!"

Ron and Ginny disappeared from his vision. A moment later he felt himself move from the fireplace into the busy atrium of the Ministry of Magic's lobby. Several people were actively using the fires on either side of the hall, both coming and going. Harry was accidentally bumped into several times by the flow of foot traffic in the short moments it took him to orientate himself. He moved quickly to the center fountain restored to its former glory with the magical races standing proudly in the center.

Ron and Ginny joined his side not long after. They, too, took in the fountain statue. It was Ginny who broke their spell.

Harry lead them around the fountain and past the check-in counter. He knew where the Minister's office was and there was no need to delay their arrival. Harry clanged the metal doors of the lift shut.

"Remember to grab onto something."

They had all just managed to grab onto the handles before the lift shot away from the atrium. Harry and Ron shared a look. The last time they had been here had not been a pleasant experience. Harry looked down at Ginny. Her expression was set tight. Harry knew she was reliving the last time she had been to the Ministry. With any luck, this trip would prove to be a bit dull. They would get in, find the information on Hermione that they needed, locate her, and then go home. There was no reason at all to think that this one time their plans wouldn't blow up in their faces.

The lift opened and closed, stopping at the demanded floors. Ron, Harry, and Ginny stayed bunched together near the front. Everybody recognized Harry and some Ron, but most didn't say anything. Harry had no desire to strike up conversations seeing as he had not come into contact with anyone he knew personally. No other obstacles stopped them from reached their destination. They exited the lift, Harry in the lead, and made their way directly to Kingsley's office. Harry frowned. In the back of his mind, a part of him thought that it shouldn't be so easy for anyone to stroll directly up to the Minister of Magic's office, no matter the emergency state of the country. The thought left him as quickly as it had come and they all found themselves in front of Kingsley's office door. Harry hesitated, only then wondering what they would do if Kingsley was out of his office.

Harry knocked loudly several times and then waited. Ron stood to his left and Ginny to his right. After a few pounding heartbeats, in which they had already begun to believe that Kingsley was not in, the door opened and the man in question stood before them. Kingsley's first expression was shock. Then he quickly gained his senses. He stood aside and allowed entry. Kingsley closed the door behind them and stood in front of it. Harry smirked. Even if security leading up to the door was lacking, Kingsley's vigilance was not.

"What brings you three here?"

"It's about Hermione, Minister." Harry thought a formal approach was best here. At least until Kingsley dropped his guard. He didn't fancy getting blown to the other side of the room like he had almost done to Ron that morning.

"Please have a seat." Kingsley ushered them to the two chairs in front of his desk. He sat on his own. Harry had Ron and Ginny take the two available seats while he stood behind Ginny's chair.

"We were hoping you could tell us where she is," Ron informed him. He sounded like if he received any bad news he would be sick.

Harry clutched the back of the chair in front of him. Ron should have gone with her. They had been so stupid. Wasn't he just thinking the same thing about the security surrounding Kingsley's office? The war was over, yes. But threats, real threats were still out there. They had spent the summer in grief and safety, but Hermione should never have gone after her parents alone, no matter what her argument had been. Anybody could have found her. Anybody could have her. Harry frowned. If that were true, surely they would have found him by now, because surely, they wanted Hermione for information on him. Then a horror struck Harry. Hermione would never talk. No matter what, and they would be satisfied enough with getting rid of her because of her blood status.

"Don't panic," Kingsley ordered.

Harry came out of his thoughts and looked at Ron to see the self-inflicted shock on his face. Though he couldn't see Ginny's face, she was sitting with great tension.

"We've called the airline. The plane landed fine right when it was supposed to. We don't know where our friend is and we have to find her. She's missing." Harry explained.

Kingsley nodded. "I thought it odd she wasn't at Remus' burial, but everybody grieves in their own way."

"You didn't have anyone in the airport waiting for them? Aurors?" Harry asked over his musings.

Kingsley sat up straight. "No. Ms. Granger was very firm in wanting to get her parents home on her own."

There was no getting around it, then. They would have to apparate to her home address.

"We have to start a search for her, Kingsley. This isn't like Hermione. Something is wrong."

Kingsley nodded. "Why don't you three head home? I'll send out a team. We'll have more information for you in an hour."

"I'd like to be there, Minister." Harry urged

This time Kingsley shook his head. "You are not an Auror, Harry. I cannot allow that. But I can't stop you from searching on your own."

Harry nodded to Ron who stood. Ginny followed his example. They came to either side of him.

"We are going to her home."

Kingsley frowned, but held out his hand. Harry took it. "I'll have someone follow you, Harry and I'll see what other information I can get. We'll find her."

Harry nodded. The three of them left the room not speaking, their steps faster than their thoughts and flooed back to the Burrow. They had now entered dangerous territory and neither Ron nor Harry could condone bringing Ginny along. She protested vehemently, but there was no persuading them. They left her in the living room to tell the other Weasleys what was going on. They'd be back as soon as they could with news.

They appeared at the end of the walk. Hermione's house stood in front of them. Glancing around, Harry saw no one, but that did not mean neighbors weren't peeking out from behind their curtains. Even if they were to be spotted, Harry and Ron were still in the habit of dressing like muggles, they would look normal to any outside eyes. Spying muggles or no, now was not the time to appear defenseless. Together they drew their wands and made their way to the front door.

Harry waved his wand in a circular motion and cast a silent spell. The outcome showed three bodies inside. It could be Hermione and her parents or a trap. He and Ron shared a look. Ron reached out his hand for the door handle. The door swung open easily and silently. Harry took point down a short hallway into the living room, almost in the same layout the Dursley's home had been in, but much bigger. Harry had to concentrate so as not to get distracted by the pictures on the walls or the homey feel the surrounding decor offered. He had never visited Hermione's childhood home.

As Harry entered the living room, Ron kept step behind him, angling himself toward the hallway as he followed Harry. In the corner of the room, curled up in an oversized armchair, sat Hermione, asleep, wand in hand. Harry nudged Ron who turned around. Upon seeing Hermione he thundered over to her side.

"Hermione!" He cried as he grabbed her arm.

Hermione jumped and fell out of the chair, her wand raised,

"Stup-"

"Expelliarmus!" Harry shot at her quickly.

Hermione's wand arched in the air toward Harry. He caught it easily, the wand warming in his hands. He didn't know if the implement recognized him from times he had used Hermione's wand in the past or because he had just now won it from her. Either way, Hermione had sprung to her feet, crossed the room, and turned to face them before either could compose themselves. She looked from Harry to Ron and back.

"What are you doing here?"

"Why are you here?" Harry and Ron asked her as she shot her own question at them at the same time.

They all paused confused.

"We have the whole Auror department looking for you." Harry knew that wasn't entirely true, but didn't feel like pointing that out just then.

Harry held her wand up and bobbed it from side to side between his fingers. Hermione nodded and he threw her wand back to her. She caught it easily and pocketed it. She rushed at them, reaching Harry first. She pulled him into a crushing hug. Harry wrapped his arms around her and could feel her trembling. He looked up at Ron alarmed. Ron frowned not understanding Harry's concern.

"I've missed you!" Hermione cried.

She pulled away from Harry and was immediately engulfed by Ron. Now it was Ron's turn to look up at Hary his eyebrows rose in alarm. He could feel Hermione's state.

"I've missed you both so much." Tears were falling fast from her.

"We've been so worried about you." Ron confessed, holding Hermione tight to him. Her face was pushed against his chest. "When you didn't come back on time, it took everything for us not to go crazy."

Hermione pulled away from Ron a little and without warning kissed him. Harry didn't turn away. Now that they had Hermione, everything was as it should be. She and Ron shared a few more kisses before she pulled Ron into another hug, taking comfort from him. Ron held her back, but looked a little dazed. Harry knew that they hadn't picked up speed since the end of the war, but had still been testing the waters when Hermione had left to retrieve her parents. Her level of familiarity towards him, Ron clearly had not been expecting.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Harry." She was staring at him, pleading for him to understand. "We got back fine. Everything was on course, but then...then..."

She began to cry again. Ron led her over to the couch and they both sat down.

"Hermione, where are your parents?"

"They're upstairs... they... I've been trying... Again and again, but I couldn't, and the trip was so long. I came down here to use the floo, but..."

Ron was staring at Harry confused, but Harry thought he understood. He took a few steps in the direction of the hallway looking up at the ceiling to the floors above.

"Memory charms are tricky things. Highly sensitive magic. Everything was fine for half an hour or so and then they started to repeat themselves and forget things, remember things they shouldn't and then..." Hermione turned her attention to Ron, "they asked who I was." Her eyes welled with tears again. "Then they were fine, for a few minutes and then... I told them to go have a nap. I've been trying to fix them, but nothing is working."

Ron rubbed her back. "It's going to be alright, Hermione." He looked up at Harry. They were both sharing the same alarmed expression. Since they had known Hermione, this had to be the first time they could remember her failing at a spell she cast.

Hermione sat up. "The memory charm. They'd been under the influence too long."

Harry moved over to the couch. "It's alright, Hermione. You did nothing wrong."

Hermione looked as if she wanted to protest, but Harry continued on before she could say anything.

"You did nothing wrong. We're going to get them help."

The three of them froze. Not daring to make a sound. They heard several loud pops in succession outside. In no time, all three of them were up, wands drawn. Harry covered the front door, Ron had his wand trailed out the back of the kitchen, and Hermione was alternating between the two.

"Here." Harry called when he saw shadows in the hallway from the front door. The other two stood behind him. Their wands trained over his shoulders.

Three people stepped into the room, their wands also raised. Nobody attacked. The three newcomers were wearing Ministry official Auror robes. Incredulously, the Aurors were the first to lower their wands, having recognized Harry straight away. Harry frowned at them but didn't protest. The trust post-war was too high too soon. Harry didn't lower is wand. Ron and Hermione mimicked him. Harry continued to stare into the newcomers.

"I'm Head Auror, Thread. This here," the speaker indicated the man on his left, "is Thomas and," the woman to his right, "Ada. We were sent by the Minister to assess the situation. We understand this is a muggle dwelling? We are looking for the witch, Hermione Granger." He turned his head to Hermione, the only witch in the room besides their own colleague.

"I'm Hermione Granger," Hermione stated strongly, stowing her wand in her jeans.

Ron lowered his and Harry followed only a minute after.

They all moved further into the living room.

"I'm sorry an alarm was raised, but there is no danger." Hermione apologized.

Ron stepped toward the head Auror. "It's her parents. They need immediate attention at St..Mungo's."

Thread nodded. "Your parents are muggles?"

"That's correct." Hermione raised her chin slightly.

There was no sneer or disgust whatsoever in Thread's expression. He nodded very business like. "There are now protocols we have to follow. We'll contact the necessary Ministry department to safely take your parents to St. Mungo's and then take your full statement."

Hermione nodded.

Thomas and Ada disapparated. Ron sat with Hermione on the couch comforting her. Harry stepped up to Thread. He held out his hand and Thread shook it. "Thank you for coming so quickly. When we spoke to Kingsley, we did not know how we would find things here."

"Yes, the Minister had us drop everything else to see to this case. It would seem when Harry Potter calls others to action, the call cannot be ignored."

Harry could tell Thread was highly annoyed. He felt slightly embarrassed but felt no shame. As far as he'd known Hermione had been in danger. If his name alone could still see immediate results, he would use that power to help his friends.

"How often do you see cases like this? Involving muggles?" Harry asked.

Thread sighed. "Unfortunately, too often. Many are accidents, such as your friend's case, others are deliberate. St. Mungo's will be able to act according to the severity and help Ms. Granger's parents."

Harry nodded. Thanking the head Auror was not the only reason he had come to shake the man's hand.

"When you and your team first entered," Harry paused choosing his words carefully. He didn't want to come across as all-knowing or pompous, "you all lowered your wands upon seeing me."

Thread glowered at him. "I just wondered if you could walk me through your plan upon arrival?" Thread looked more threatening than Harry had encountered anyone as of late. He stumbled on, trying to dig himself out of the hole he had put himself in. "I plan to join the Auror program, sir."

Thread deflated a little. "The Minister, of course, told us who we could expect to be in this house, Mr. Potter. We also cast detection charms over the building before entering. Upon seeing you we took the very low risk of you being anyone other than yourself based on our gathered intelligence before arriving."

Harry nodded. "I'm sorry if it seemed-"

"Don't worry about it, Mr. Potter. The Minister has already spoken to me about several new candidates for the program, you and Mr. Weasley, over there, among them."

"He has?" This was news to Harry. He had been planning to speak to Kingsley within the next week or so about joining the program. He never even took a second to wonder if Kingsley had beaten him to the punch.

Thread's partners popped back into the room and they weren't alone.

Ada spoke up, "This is Leaf and Hampton from the department of Care and Protection of Muggles. They'll see your parents to St. Mungo's."

The two newcomers nodded at them all. Hermione jumped up and lead them to her parents' room, Ron following in their wake. When Ron passed by him, Harry grabbed his arm enough to get Ron to stop and talk with him.

"You're going with Hermione to St. Mungo's?"

Ron nodded. "Yea, I'm never letting her go off on her own again after this."

"Don't let her hear you say that."

"We'll need her statement as well." Thread reminded them. "All the arrangements should take about an hour."

Harry nodded.

Harry pulled out his wand, tip pointed at the floor. "You go ahead and stay with Hermione. I'll head back to the Burrow and fill everyone in on what's gone on. I'll meet you and Hermione at St. Mungo's unless I see you back at the Burrow first."

"Alright."

Harry caught a last glimpse of Thread looking shocked before he headed home.


	3. Chapter 3

**This is the first chapter to go through a Beta Reader! Thanks Courtney!**

* * *

Harry arrived back at the burrow to find a living room full of people. He entered the room and paused as all eyes turned to him. The gathered jumped to their feet, though none came any closer. Ginny stood in the front center of them all, her expression shifting from worried, to glaring at him.

"Where's Ron?" Mrs. Weasley asked.

"Hermione?" Ginny.

Harry moved further into the room and took a seat. Everyone followed his example and sat back down, but still stared at him waiting for answers. Now that Harry thought about it, he wasn't sure anybody besides him and Ron knew that Hermione had obliviated her parents, which is why she had to retrieve them from Australia this summer. Harry rubbed his jaw and as a side note, reminded himself to shave. Harry glanced up at Ginny and found her quirking her eyebrow at him. Harry couldn't tell if she was thinking along the same lines as him or completely the opposite. Maybe she couldn't care any less about the state of his growing beard at that moment.

"Everyone is alright," Harry said addressing first Mrs. Weasley and then Ginny.

Harry leaned back in the chair and ran a hand through his hair in a forward and back motion. When he was done Ginny was staring up at it with an unplaceable look. She probably thought he needed a haircut. He hadn't had one since the last time Hermione had done it for him.

"Well, Ron and Hermione are alright. The same can't be said for her parents."

There was an immediate uproar from those around him. George, who had been mostly keeping to himself since the war, who barely spoke anymore, was on his feet firing off questions faster than Harry could begin to understand them. The rest, though not as quickly as George, were spouting off some of the same questions.

"Where are they?"

"Are they alright?"

"Did something go wrong with their travel?"

"Are they hurt?"

"What happened to them?"

Harry held up a hand in front of him and to his surprise, the questions died off. Harry was worried about divulging information Hermione didn't want known, but at this point in the process, there really was no harm in explaining fully.

"You have to understand. All of us thought it had been quick thinking on Hermione's part."

Mrs. Weasley gave a few waves of her wand and several tea trays came floating to them from the kitchen. The tea went around the circle and poured them a cup each. Harry took one from the tray as it passed him and sipped gratefully. He smiled at Mrs. Weasley between the initial sips. Harry hadn't realized how wound up he had still been. They had not thought about anything but finding and getting to Hermione.

Harry kept his teacup between his hands as he spoke, grateful for the warmth even though it was not at all chilly inside or out with it being the middle of summer.

"Before Hermione joined us last year, she took certain measures to ensure her parents' safety."

They all nodded knowing at least that much.

"But it wasn't enough to simply move them out of the country. Hermione wanted to be absolutely certain that they would be able to give nothing away if they did happen to be tracked down. So she obliviated their memories of her and gave them new identities."

Mrs. Weasley was on her feet so fast Harry could not be sure she had been sitting down at all. feet. "She erased her parents' memories?"

Harry stared up at her. He didn't know if she was mad or concerned. Harry came to the conclusion that she was both, but he didn't know how much of which and where exactly the emotions were directed.

"When she brought them back,"

Molly stomped right up to Harry. Harry stood up from his seat, not daring to allow her anger to tower over him, not on Hermione's account, no matter how much of a mother she was to him.

"She erased her parents' memories?"

"Hermione didn't do anything wrong, Mrs. Weasley." The authoritative tone Harry had found at Shell Cottage had now become one of his speech abilities ever since.

Mrs. Weasley glared at him. A part of Harry wanted to apologize and sit back down, but he did neither. He stayed standing there, keeping eye contact. Mrs. Weasley puffed up like an angry bird putting all of its feathers out of place.

Harry reached out his hand for her arm. "Mrs. Weasley," He tried consolingly, but Mrs. Weasley turned abruptly to each of her children and when no one said anything marched out of the room. Harry stared after her. He then turned his attention to Mr. Weasley. The older man shook his head sadly.

"What's happened to the Grangers, Harry?" Ginny asked.

Harry took his seat once more just then noticing that the teacup he had been holding was now on the floor. He swished his wand and the cup repaired itself seamlessly. He said the incantation for the cleaning spell out loud. Having little practice with them, he could not perform them silently. However, the tea stain on the carpet only appeared lighter in color. Harry frowned at the spot. Mr. Weasley cleaned the rest up for him. Harry nodded at him and then continued.

"Hermione tried reversing the charm, but the effects have been on her parents too long. The counter charm didn't work and according to Hermione, her parents have been slipping from one memory set to another."

The room gasped. Ginny momentarily hid her face in her hands. When she looked back up she said, "But Hermione's charms,"

"I know Ginny." They stared at each other, not needing words.

Bill scooted forward in his seat. For the first time, Harry wondered why Bill was currently present. He and Fleur had left for Shell Cottage a month ago. Probably having noticed the look on Harry's face Bill felt the need to supply,

"You, Ron, and Ginny disappeared so suddenly and then Ginny told the lot," Bill indicated to the rest of his family, "what was going on when you dropped her back here. They called me down in case I could be of any use."

Harry still had many questions on that front but before he could ask, Bill spoke again.

"What about Hermione's charms?"

Harry and Ginny stared at him. George is the one who answered him.

"She cast a perfect Protean Charm on a handful of fake galleons, also conjured by her, during her fifth year."

Bill whistled softly.

"She received ten O.W.L.s, nine of which were "O"s and that was just on exams." Harry felt compelled to explain on behalf of his friend.

Nobody said anything for a moment. Then Ginny prompted Harry again, who had lost himself to his own thoughts.

"What's happening with them all now, Harry?"

Harry looked up. The Weasleys were still staring at him. Mrs. Weasley had yet to return to the room.

"We met with Head Auror Thread and a few others from the Ministry. Her parents have been taken to St. Mungo's. Ron and Hermione followed." Harry checked his watch. The one Mrs. Weasley had given him on his seventeenth. "They said the initial check-in and statements should have only taken about an hour. That should be almost done by now. I told Ron that if he and Hermione weren't back, I'd meet them at St. Mungo's."

Arthur nodded. The others sat back in their seats, finally relaxed for the first time since he had entered the room.

Harry stood up ready to depart for St. Mungo's. He was itching to be back with Ron and Hermione. Now that he had been with both of his best friends again after months, Harry felt an anxiety coming on not having them at his side. Ginny stood as well, giving him one of her infamous blazing looks. Harry knew that to mean she wouldn't be taking no for an answer. He had no intentions of denying her. Arthur stood next.

"I'll talk to, Molly. We'll meet you at St. Mungo's if you haven't come back in a couple of hours."

Harry nodded with a slight smile. That had been almost exactly what he had said to Ron.

Bill and George stood together. The brothers clapped each other in a hug.

"Give our love to Hermione," Bill asked as George patted Harry on the shoulder as he took the stairs back to his room.

He hadn't been back to the shop since the war, at least not that any of them knew of. Harry knew Bill wasn't just asking for himself and Fleur, but for George as well. Harry nodded and Bill disapparated with a pop. Harry and Ginny were the only ones left in the room then. Since calm had resettled on their lives, he and Ginny didn't have any spoken agreements or promises, but Harry knew they had a strong unspoken understanding of what they both wanted, what they both hoped for. Harry held out his arm for Ginny. Her expression softened as she accepted. Harry knew they still needed to talk about him jinxing her hand, but that would have to wait. Their friends needed them.

Harry squeezed her hand right before he apparated them to St. Mungo's landing them right outside the front doors. Having been there only once before, he thought it would be safer than appearing directly in the lobby full of people. Ginny let go of his arm, looking nothing but a little winded from the trip. She was clearly taking to apparation faster than he had. Even still he hated the sensation of squeezing through a tunnel, unable to move or breathe, every thought focused on the destination. Flying may be slower, but it allowed one to keep themselves perfectly normal while traveling and gave room for one to sort through their thoughts before reaching their destinations.

They entered St. Mungo's, Harry in the lead. Once inside Harry scanned the room. He wasn't looking for Ron or Hermione. He knew they wouldn't be hanging out at the entrance and there was also every possibility they had missed them. After being on the run for a year, his incursion through the Ministry under someone else's appearance, he wasn't going to take anything for granted. War or peace it didn't matter, Harry would always assume there were threats around and treat the area accordingly until determined otherwise.

"Constant Vigilance!" Moody screamed in his head. At least the Moody who had been his professor still had a voice in his head, though that had not been the real Alastor Moody at all.

There was a woman sitting down, her arms resting on her knees and a man a few chairs down from her staring ahead of him. Harry got the feeling the man wasn't staring at anything specific. There was plenty of foot traffic through the lobby. Healers crossing from one area to another, meeting with families, exchanging notes. St. Mungo's was a whole world of movement on its own, much the way the Ministry of Magic was a world apart from the rest. There were no present dangers that Harry could see. He glanced again at the lone man who was watching but wasn't seeing before leading him and Ginny to the reception area. Though he had known muggles were treated at St. Mungo's if magic had been poorly used on them, he did not know what area of the hospital he needed to go to. Ginny didn't say anything but kept to his side keeping watch on the room at large.

"Hello?" Harry greeted the welcome witch behind the counter.

She glanced up at him then over to Ginny sweeping them over with her eyes before turning her attention back to the papers in her hands. Seeing as they didn't need immediate medical attention she asked in a bored and annoyed tone, "Visiting?"

"Yes." Harry's authoritative inflection was back. Ginny smirked up at him. "We're here to see two muggles that were brought in about an hour ago. Granger. Male and female."

"The Grangers are under strict Ministry protocol at the moment. Are you family?"

Harry's temper bristled. Ginny put a hand on his back and leaned into him. Harry looked down at her. She tilted her head, frowning slightly.

"The family is already here. I'm here to meet them."

The witch glanced quickly up at him and then returned to her papers. Without looking she pointed over her right shoulder. "Fourth floor."

"Thank you."

Harry moved in the direction of the lift, but had to turn around because Ginny had not been following. She stood looking shocked at the reception witch for a moment before realizing Harry had moved away from her and skipped over to catch up with him. Only when Harry had been about to enter the lift did he notice the directional signs. One of them listed:

FOURTH FLOOR

Permanent Spell Damage

Harry sucked in a breath when entering the lift. These weren't like the Ministry of Magic's lifts. They didn't threaten to knock you into the wall or into the other passengers with every movement. These didn't need safety handles. They were the most like muggle lifts than anything else, although Harry was sure there wasn't mechanical engineering keeping this lift going up and down and he was fairly certain that the lift wouldn't plummet them to their deaths if it were to fall off the tracks, because it didn't have tracks, the lift wouldn't be in danger of falling at all, ever. Harry slumped against the wall. Surely, Hermione's charm wouldn't cause permanent damage to her parents' memories. The healers only brought the Grangers up there because of how powerful Hermione's magic was, not because they couldn't reverse the effects. He knew that if Hermione's parents' memories couldn't be fixed Hermione would blame herself, forever. There was no way she could have known she wouldn't be able to perform the counter charm.

The lift slid past the second floor.

Harry frowned watching the numbers. Maybe it wasn't about her abilities at all. Say she had performed the charm perfectly and that it was something else preventing her parents from returning to normal. Then what? Maybe the death eaters had found her parents after all and had tried to reverse the charm themselves, but failed. An ill attempt to reverse a memory charm was highly dangerous. Harry didn't truly believe death eaters had gotten to them though. Hermione had reported nothing else wrong with her parents other than her counter charm not working and death eaters surely would have left their marks upon the Grangers if they had managed to find them. Then their memories had to of been damaged some other way, and not by Hermione's charm. There had to be something. Hermione wouldn't be blamed by anyone, not even herself, for this on Harry's watch.

The lift stopped at the third floor.

Ginny who had been leaning on another wall, staring at Harry moved to Harry's side as three people entered. One was a Healer who was about Ginny's height, making notes on a clipboard. The other two were a couple, if Harry was assuming right. The woman was in a wheelchair, heavily pregnant and very obviously in labor, and the other was a man who was holding her hand whispering to her. Harry didn't know where the babies floor was, but he was sure it was somewhere above the fifth floor. Ginny was watching the couple with a mix of fascination and disgust. Harry had heard Ron talk some about when Ginny was a baby. He didn't know how much contact with babies or young children she had had seeing as she was the youngest of the Weasley clan. Harry knew for certain that he did want to have kids one day. Someone to pass on his knowledge, treasures, name, love. A family that he could invest in, be surrounded by. One of the things he never had the opportunity to have. Not for the first time, he wondered what his life would have been like if his parents had survived. Would he have siblings? He looked away from the couple and back to Ginny. Harry thought about the way she and her siblings were with each other. Yeah, he would have liked to have brothers and sisters. He would definitely want more than one kid. Ginny looked up at him then. Harry raised his eyebrows at her, a smile ghosting his lips. Ginny turned away from him, a frown on her face. Yeah, they were nowhere near having that conversation.

The lift stopped on the fourth floor. To Harry's surprise, the expecting couple and the Healer exited the lift. Harry gave a small chuckle. Leave it to the wizarding world to put the baby department on the "Permanent Spell Damage" floor. Ginny's own smile quirked at his chuckle, but Harry didn't explain his laughter. Grabbing Ginny's hand in his own, as much for comfort as for desire, Harry walked them down the short hall to the check-in desk. Ginny welcomed his touch giving his hand a light squeeze then running her thumb back and forth, over the back of his hand all the way down the hallway.

"We're here for Granger." Harry announced.

The man behind the counter pointed to his left. "Last door."

Harry and Ginny moved down the hallway. The doors along the floor were spaced out unevenly. Some were one right after another, but others had space where three doors could have fit between one to the next. The whole way down the hallway Harry waited to meet Ron and Hermione, but they didn't show. When they reached the last door in the hallway, Harry peaked inside through the small, square window set into the top of the door. Ginny tiptoed up but was still too short to see through. Harry pulled open the door, waving Ginny through and then followed her in.

Harry now understood why some of the doors were further apart. This wasn't a room that housed one patient, but several. There were about ten beds in all, but only four were occupied including Hermione's parents. The privacy curtains were drawn around the beds, but Ron, Hermione, and Head Auror Thread were standing at the end of the enclosed beds. Harry and Ginny walked up to them. Ron's head snapped up to theirs the moment they started in their direction. Harry and Ron nodded at each other. Ron's eyes flicked to Ginny, but there was no animosity in his glance. They drew up to Ron's side who was hugging Hermione close on his left. Hermione was answering Thread's questions and by the tone of her voice, Harry could tell this was not the first time she had had to repeat herself. Thread nodded to him, but continued to listen to Hermione. When Thread had concluded his interrogation, he turned to Harry.

"Mr. Potter." He turned to Ginny and only hesitated for a moment, his eyes darting between Ginny and Harry. "Ms. Weasley." Ginny nodded her confirmation and hello. "We've gotten all the information that we can. There will be no repercussions against Ms. Granger, but as for the rest, the Healers will have to take it from here."

Harry offered his hand. "Thank you," he said as Thread took it and shook.

Thread then shook Ron and Hermione's hands and left the room. Harry and Ginny turned to face Ron and Hermione, forming their own four pointed circle. Hermione stepped out of the comfort of Ron's arm to give Harry a hug. Harry hugged her back with more strength than he had ever put into one of their hugs before. He knew what this all meant for Hermione, what she was feeling. His sister was hurting and there wasn't anything he could do about it, no way to ease her pain. Hermione pressed her face into his shoulder, shaking, but not crying.

Harry rubbed her back in a comforting manner. "They're going to be alright, Hermione. This isn't your fault."

She shook her head like she disagreed with him.

"It's not." Harry said more fiercely. "You did nothing wrong."

Hermione picked her head up off of him enough to speak. "The counter charm... I did it wrong."

It was Harry's turn to shake his head. He pushed at Hermione's arms, forcing her to take a step back so they could look at each other properly. Hermione looked up at him full on with the saddest expression Harry had ever seen anyone use without actually crying.

"This isn't your fault! I don't believe," Harry stooped just slightly so they could be at eye level. He continued using as much conviction as he possibly could weave into one utterance, "for one second that you did not perform that charm absolutely perfectly."

Hermione only stared at him, wanting to believe him. Harry knew her mind was running a mile a minute taking that small possibility and trying to find every possible road from that conclusion.

"Then why is this happening, Harry?"

Harry squeezed her upper arms and drew her in for another hug. "For a woman who got ten O.W.L.'s and has never failed at magic, I don't believe that charm didn't work for you. Not for one second. I don't know why this is happening, but I do know this wasn't your fault."

Hermione nodded her head, stepping away from him and back to Ron's side. Harry didn't know how much she believed him. He believed himself one hundred percent. As Hermione settled herself once more, Harry noticed Ron and Ginny exchange a look he couldn't place. He wasn't here to analyze that one. He was here for Hermione. Having never done it himself, Harry waved his wand while saying the spell to materialize chairs for them all. He smiled to himself when four chairs appeared behind each of them. The others looked surprised. They all sat down. The chairs groaned dangerously, but none collapsed. Now that he knew that spell he could only get stronger at it.

"What have the healers told you?" Harry asked once they were all seated.

Hermione sighed. "Nothing. They keep saying they have to run tests and watch them over the course of a few days to determine anything concrete."

Harry frowned at this news. "Have they run any tests yet?"

"Just the initial check-ups to determine what remedies not to use."

Ron was frowning, thinking something over. He shifted in his seat. The chair groaned again. Ron froze. All of their attention was directed at it, watching to see if it was going to collapses. Ron let out a puff of air in relief when it didn't send him to the floor.

"Do you really believe that her charm worked perfectly?" Ron asked Harry.

Harry nodded. His chair gave a groan when he shifted to lay his arm across the back of Ginny's. He flinched but wasn't too worried about it giving out.

Ron continued. "Then if we take that as true, we have to ask who?"

"Who?" Ginny parroted.

"Well, if her charm worked ... well... why didn't it work?"

Hermione looked thoughtful, Ginny confused, but Harry answered Ron.

"I've thought about that." Harry frowned at Hermione hoping she wouldn't get overwhelmed by what he was about to suggest. "Maybe their memories had been tampered with before Hermione was able to retrieve them."

Hermione was shaking her head. Ron looked horrified.

"But how?" Ginny asked.

Harry and Hermione were sharing a nonverbal conversation. She was staring at him with that problem-solving face she always had and Harry knew just what question she was asking herself to counteract what they had already determined. A question he had already answered. Harry cocked his head sideways at her, frowning, hoping she could take the thought further than he could and find the answer he didn't have. Ron and Ginny were now looking from one to the other. Ginny raised her eyebrows at them, but Ron sat patiently. He had lived through this too many times to know when not to interrupt.

"There are no immediate consequences though, Harry." Hermione finally concluded.

Harry frowned at that and looked over to the privacy curtain hiding her parents. She was right. Why hurt her parents in a delayed reaction? There were no physical scars, no sign that the Grangers had been tortured. If it really was someone else who tampered with Hermione's charm, then why? Harry turned back to Hermione and saw that she was trying to hold her emotions in. Harry knew that she had come to the same conclusion he had in that very moment. Ginny, tired of watching their silent conversation, broke the renewed silence between them.

"What are we thinking?"

Ron pulled Hermione close and dropped a kiss on the top of her head. Harry watched them, trying not to give Ginny a meaningful look.

"Hermione's charm worked. That I'm sure of. Ron asked the right question. Why didn't it work?" Harry began to explain.

Hermione sniffed and cleared her throat her voice shaky at first, then growing stronger through her explanation.

"Harry's concerned that someone reached them before I did but didn't want it to be as easy as killing them."

Ginny sat up straighter not taking her eyes off of Hermione. "Then what?"

Before either Harry or Hermione could answer, Ron spoke. "Because the worst torture they could give Hermione, would have her parents' memories never recover. For her to agonize forever over their fates. I think at least a few of the Death Eaters finally learned that death is not the worst thing that can happen to you."

Ron was staring at Harry. They were sharing their horror and their grief for the friend beside them. Hermione had broken down in tears during Ron's description, burying her face in his neck. Ron hugged her close and Harry bent over his lap, rested his arms on his knees, his eyes on the floor. He would find whoever did this to Hermione's parents and they would pay dearly. It was then, as Harry watched Hermione cry into Ron's neck, the sounds of her sedated parents' breathing beside him, innocents in everything the four of them had to go through, the actions they took, was the first time since the end of the war that Harry felt the need to kick-start his career. Sure he knew that he would need to start the conversation sooner rather than later, start making some inquiries, but this was no longer about stepping into the life of an adult. No, Harry no longer had time to think about his future, he had to start living it.

Harry was the first to stand. He offered his hand to Ginny and helped her to her feet. She smiled at him showing her thanks. Once they were standing, he didn't let go of her hand. Ron brought Hermione to her feet and, and while Harry was still clutching Ginny's hand in his own, gave Hermione the hardest one-armed hug he could.

"The healers are going to help them, Hermione. And," Harry gripped her shoulder, Hermione looked up and into his eyes. He burned inside out with a new purpose, the light of it shown out from his iris and Hermione couldn't look away. She was caught in the force of the beam, "I promise you," Harry continued, going as close to an unbreakable vow without the ritual as one ever could, "I'm going to find who did this, and they won't get away with it."

Hermione nodded, placing a hand over Harry's and squeezed. She believed him. And now her parents were no longer the only one's she was worried for.

"Let's go home." Ron stated.

Hermione took one last peek behind the curtain at her sleeping parents, and the four of them left St. Mungo's in two consecutive pops.


	4. Chapter 4

**Beta read by Courtney! Honestly is beta reading worth it? It's taking way too long to create a Fanfiction story.**

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Harry meant what he had said, what he had promised himself, back at St. Mungo's. Since then, Hermione had been practically living at the Ministry of Magic trying to find information to help her parents. Harry had gone with her several times. He needed to know everything she uncovered the moment she found something, but he had also been there for other reasons. Head Auror Thread had mentioned that his name was on the list to join the Auror program. He needed to meet with the Minister and Thread to find out for certain how exactly he was going to do that.

A few days after St. Mungo's, Harry had told Ron and Hermione what Thread had said about him, Ron, and Neville. Ron was instantly excited, going on long rants about what training would be like and what their day to day jobs would be. Harry knew it would be much the same as finding those bloody Horcruxes: a lot of wading through uselessness hoping to find a solid clue, if they managed to land a case that lasted more than an afternoon. But he didn't tell Ron that. Better not burst his bubble now.

The few things Harry had ever been told about the training program itself was that it was more study, prep, practice, and tests both written and practical. Though Harry had never put much effort into his studies at Hogwarts, though he held his own well, he regretted not taking the discipline he could have learned there with him. He was going to study and train harder than he ever had in his life. If he failed these tests, if he messed up on the job, there was more at stake than just his grade. Ron would come to see this too, Harry would make sure of it.

Later that day, when Harry had told Ron about joining the program, Harry found himself in the Burrow's kitchen. He stood a few feet from the bottom step, a rolled piece of paper clutched in his hand. Once there, in the kitchen, Harry's gusto with which he had taken the stairs down evaporated. He stood there, eyes scanning the room, a frown on his face, a confusion building up in him, though he wasn't sure why.

Someone bounded down the stairs behind him. Still scanning the room, Harry had enough mind to step away from the stairs. When the person reached the bottom step, Harry didn't turn around. He was properly confused now. He wasn't quite sure why he had come down to the kitchen at all.

"What are you doing, Harry?"

Harry turned to give Ginny a small smile, shrugged, and turned back to scan the room. Ginny stepped up to his side, taking his cue, and swept her eyes over the room. Harry began to chuckle. By her stance alone he could tell she was now on alert.

"Nothing to worry about, Ginny. I forgot why I came down is all."

Ginny moved to the table to pour herself some pumpkin juice while shaking her head at Harry. Harry's attention was momentarily taken from what he had forgotten and he watched Ginny. They had yet to talk about them. Most of their conversations involved Hermione and her parents or the little things they were doing during the day. He was sure if he waited much longer too much time would go by and then it would be too late to say anything at all. He watched her gulp the pumpkin juice down and then immediately pour herself another cup. This summer was turning into a scorcher.

When they all, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny, managed to be at the Burrow at the same time, they'd go out for a dip in the nearby pond or mess around on broomsticks. The heat made sure to keep them outside as it was too hot to stay closed up indoors. Many days, no matter where they spent their time, the heat was beyond forgiving. Several times they had sat under a tree, Hermione keeping a cooling charm on them when the heat became overwhelming. Though Ginny and Ron tried to persuade George out of his room, despite the heat, he didn't come down much.

Harry knew, that just as he needed to speak to Ginny, he needed to have another kind of long talk with George. Though how to approach the lone twin was a situation Harry didn't know how to navigate. He thought of his own behavior anytime one of his friends had died. He too had shut everyone out, grieved on his own, lashed out angry and bitter for months and months before coming out of such sadness. Harry wanted to give George time, but how much of it he needed was unclear. Harry would never go up and force himself into George's space. For now, he would handle his business, and when George was ready, he would rejoin the day to day life. That's when Harry would talk with him.

"I don't think Pig has been out for a while." Ginny told him.

Harry came back to the Burrow's kitchen. He had stopped looking at Ginny and had been looking through her. He focused on her again.

"Pig?"

Ginny took a sip of juice and pointed to the scroll in Harry's hand. Harry held up the scroll, turning it ever so gently in between his fingers. That was what he had been doing. Having finished his letter, his first response was to find Hedwig. He swallowed a lump in his throat. This wasn't the first time he had forgotten that she was gone. Many times he had panicked because he hadn't seen her in a few days, and then the panic would settle and he would remember. Several times, like then, he would search for her, needing her to carry a letter. Harry would walk from room to room slowly forgetting what he was looking for until he was reminded.

"Right. I'll get Pig." Harry nodded.

"Hey," Ginny called softly to him.

Harry paused, his right foot resting on the first stair. He pulled away from the staircase and turned back to Ginny. She set down her juice and walked around the table to pull Harry into a hug. Harry reciprocated in full. There was rarely an occasion to have physical contact with others. Harry never initiated a hug without the situation being at an emotional high and others, like Ginny was now, only offered when they could tell his mood was declining.

They pulled away from each other, both smiling, but in a way that made them seem like they weren't trying to show they were smiling.

"Thank you, Ginny."

She had made him feel better without saying a word.

"Hermione said you're meeting with Kingsley today?" Her question was hesitant.

Harry felt bad, but this time for a different reason. Harry knew Ginny felt awkward asking. She maybe even felt like she shouldn't be asking at all. Harry smiled at her, trying to lift the atmosphere around them. He hadn't managed any one-on-one time with Ginny. Harry frowned. Why was that? There hadn't been time. Everybody had been grieving or had been busy, but even as he thought that, Harry knew that was no excuse.

"Yes. He'd like to speak to me about a job."

Ginny's expression paused. She smiled a kindly smile at him. She may as well have said, "Oh."

"You're disappointed?" Harry didn't understand her reticence.

She frowned at him and crossed her arms. "I knew you wanted to work for the Ministry."

"But?" Harry prompted her.

"It's nothing, Harry. I didn't realize you'd enter so soon." She gave a small shrug like it was no big deal.

Having grown up around Ginny every summer since he was twelve and having had dated her when he was sixteen, Harry knew that Ginny didn't truly see the situation so lightly.

"You don't have to walk on eggshells around me."

Ginny took half a beat before her expression hardened.

"What about Hogwarts? Hermione is going back. Ron I can understand why he wouldn't, but you? Why wouldn't you go back?".

She wasn't angry, but Harry could tell she was disappointed.

Of course Harry knew that Hermione was going back to Hogwarts to complete their missed year. Though he had some regrets concerning his attempts academically, Harry knew that his way forward would best be placed in the workforce.

"It's time for me to move on from Hogwarts, Ginny. I can do more good as an Auror than I can as a student."

Ginny crossed her arms over her chest. "When do you start training?"

Harry smiled and turned his attention momentarily to the floor. "I'm not a trainee yet. I still have to meet with Kingsley and Thread about entering the program." Harry, Ron, and Hermione had since told Ginny everything about that had happened after they had left her at the Burrow.

"I thought you said they had already recruited you?"

"No, Kingsley recommended us for the program. We still have to pass entrance exams."

Ginny looked doubtful.

"In any case, I still need to meet with them."

"When are you doing that?" Ginny asked.

Harry waved the scroll that was still fisted in his right hand. "Hopefully this week, just need to send this off."

Harry smiled and then turned to head back upstairs. Before he could ascend even one step, he turned back to Ginny. She watched him curiously. Harry's heart was sprinting inside his chest. He and Ginny hadn't been together for over a year. He was about ninety percent sure she would answer his next question in a way that would make him happy, but a small part of him didn't know how to believe he'd be able to be a part of something so good twice in one lifetime.

"Friday," Harry said loudly into the silence. "Let me take you somewhere Friday?"

To Ginny's credit she did look genuinely confused. "Take me where Harry?"

Harry blushed. "I don't know yet. I hadn't planned that far ahead." Not that he had planned asking in the first place, but he wouldn't dwell on such technicalities in that moment.

Ginny's eyes grew big and a blush appeared over her face. "Planned? Like a date?"

"Yes. I'm asking you on a date."

Harry realized then, that he and Ginny never had the "dating" portion of their relationship. From the moment he had kissed her, they had melded into a couple, bypassing all other traditions and customs, and though they had spent time alone together, they had never been on a proper date, a promise of something moore. This time would be different for a list of reasons. Harry didn't want to jump in where they had left off. They had been parted for a year after all. There was so much to learn, to re-learn. Harry didn't want to rush a single moment.

Ginny stepped up to him again and wound her arms under his, hugging him. Harry, surprised by the hug, enjoyed it no less. Then they were not so much as hugging each other than merely holding each other close.

"I wasn't sure you were still thinking of us that way." Ginny confessed as her head rested on his chest.

Harry hesitated not sure how much to reveal straight away, but after the past year,he didn't know how to let the moment slide away. "I didn't ever stop thinking of us that way, Gin."

She snuggled closer to his chest.

"Is that a yes, then?"

She nodded. "Yes. Friday sounds perfect."

Harry closed his eyes and breathed in Ginny's familiar flowery scent. His happiness threatened to burst from him in that moment. For the first time in a long time, the feeling of happiness outweighed the other awful feelings. Though Harry could still feel his sadness and anxiety, they were momentarily pushed aside.

Ginny pulled away quickly. "Oh, I almost forgot. Ron said he'd help me practice Quidditch later if you want to join?"

The hair on his arms and the back of his neck stood on end, electrified by the thought of flying again. Traveling by broom during the past year had not only been too dangerous but slow as well. Not until Ginny had mentioned it did he realize how much he missed flying through the air.

"Definitely. When?"

Ginny gave a shrug. "Ron said he had something he wanted to finish up, so maybe like an hour?"

Harry nodded. "I think Hermione wanted to talk some things over later, but I'll play until she gets home."

They both grew solemn and silent thinking of Hermione. The only reason she left the house anymore was to spend time at St. Mungo's with her parents, lugging books back and forth with her. The man now running Flourish and Blotts had opened a running tab for Hermione. She had been in and out of the bookstore so often doing research on her parents' condition that she was purchasing half her collection and borrowing the other half. More than once she cursed the wizarding world for not having public libraries and lamented about missing the Hogwarts one.

"Have you seen much of Hermione?" Ginny asked.

Harry shook his head. Harry had been busy trying to create a game plan for himself and Hermione hadn't been around much. For this reason, Ron had taken on the habit of going with Hermione anytime she spent more than and hour at St. Mungo's. He missed both of his friends, but Harry understood. He only feared that Hermione wouldn't go back to Hogwarts come September if her parents' conditions had not improved by then. He expressed as much to Ginny.

"Do you really think she wouldn't?" Ginny exclaimed, shocked.

"I don't think she'd make the decision consciously. She'll be so worried about missing an opportunity to help her parents, she wouldn't notice the beginning of term.

"You have to talk to her, Harry."

"I think we all should."

Ginny nodded. Harry smiled and then actually made it up the stairs this time to give his letter to Pig. Yes, if Hermione's parents' condition didn't improve by September, that would mean nothing at all could be done and especially nothing by Hermione. There would be nothing else for her to do other than go back to school. Staying by her parents' side would do her no good. Then Harry thought of Ginny, and as he entered Ron's room, he had the biggest grin on his face. In two days he would take Ginny out on a date.

As Pig flew out the window, Harry could feel a few more pieces fall into place. Within a few days, Kingsley would write back with his answer to Harry about joining the Auror program, his love life had taken a step uphill, the overall sadness was beginning to lift, even if just by a fraction, and no pattern from the old threats had emerged all summer. He promised himself growth in his own life and he knew these were the exact occurrences he needed to see to know he was headed down the right path.

"Where'd you send him?" Ron asked form the doorway.

Harry turned around and noticed Ron was holding a rolled scroll. He was staring into Pig's empty cage and out the window where Harry was standing.

"Sorry," Harry apologized. "I should have asked."

Ron shrugged and plopped the scroll down on his bedside table. "You don't need to ask, honestly. I'll send it when he gets back."

"Kingsley," Harry answered Ron's earlier question. "Asking about the Auror program."

Ron nodded and pointed to his scroll. "I was about to ask the same. Hermione tried to persuade me to go back to school with her this year."

"She knew you wouldn't go."

"Then why ask?"

"I think she just wants you there. She'll have Ginny and whoever else decides to return, but it'll be different."

Ron snorted. "I almost wonder what a year at Hogwarts would be like only having to worry about classes."

Harry laughed. "This will be the easiest year for Hermione."

Then they were both laughing, the kind of laughter that started from genuine hilarity and morphed into something unrecognizable in the fact that they were soon unable to stop laughing, and then they didn't know what they were laughing at anymore.

When they calmed down, Harry's mind returned to the conversation he had with Ginny. He sat on the chair at Ron's desk and grew serious. "Ginny and I are afraid that Hermione may not go back to school after all."

Ron sat up and perched on the edge of his bed. "Why wouldn't she go back?"

"If her parents don't get better by September, I fear she'll forget and stay to help them."

Ron was thinking it over. The many possibilities. "If they aren't better by the start of term, then…"

Harry knew he had come to the same conclusion. The way things were looking now,Hermione's parents weren't ever going to recover.

"Speaking of Ginny… has she gotten you back yet for jinxing her hand?"

"No," and it was only in that moment that Harry decided full disclosure was best, "but I think I have her properly distracted. I asked her out for Friday."

Ron was standing, staring at Harry. Harry stood up as well and never broke eye contact with his best friend. Ron's mouth was working up and down, but he couldn't quite spit anything out. When Harry was positive Ron wasn't going to punch him, he sat back down. After another minute, Ron did the same.

As he sat back on his bed he asked, "I thought you gave that up?"

"We were on the run, there was a war, and I wasn't going to make it out alive, so yeah, I broke up with her and tried not to dwell on a future that wasn't possible."

"But now…" Ron breathed out.

And it was just the way Ron said it that Harry knew his news about himself and Ginny had been accepted and moved on from. Ron now gazed dreamily at the opposite wall. He and Hermione had had their adrenaline fueled kiss, backed by seven years of restraint, during the Battle of Hogwarts. Even then, the future had not been a guarantee, but now Harry knew Ron was on the same page as him. Now there was all the time in the world to live.

"Why are you here anyway? Why aren't you at St. Mungo's with Hermione?" Harry asked.

Ron lost his dreamy look. "She kicked me out. Said I was breathing too loud." Ron rolled his eyes and then muttered, "Mental."

Harry chuckled. Then he grew serious, "She doesn't deserve this. After everything, this is the last thing she needs."

Ron rubbed both of his hands back and forth over his face a few times before snapping his arms back on the bed. "I know! To top it all off, Harry," he sat up violently, perched on the edge of his bed and gave Harry a hardened look, "I don't think anybody is to blame for the Grangers' condition."

Harry sat up straight. This was the first anybody had voiced such thoughts. Briefly Harry had wondered, but his theory lay with foul play. One of the reasons he wanted to get his Auror badge as quickly as possible was so he could help more with the Grangers' case. Not once had he truly considered it was the work of faulty magic. True, there was every chance that when lifting the spell, Hermione had messed up, or the charm may have simply been on her parents too long, worked its magic too well. Hermione, being the powerful witch that she is, may have outdone herself.

Ron continued speaking, "Someone getting to them, leaving them alive, none of it makes any sense. I haven't told Hermione this, of course, but I know that's what she thinks too. It's why she's working so hard to fix them."

Harry frowned and rubbed his chin. He still needed that shave. Hermione was feeling guilty, thought herself truly responsible. If that was the case, she wouldn't return to Hogwarts in the fall. Harry needed to speak with her, tell her… explain to her what Ron wasn't able to. Harry knew she'd be mad at him a little, but he could get through to her. He and Hermione were a lot alike in many ways.


End file.
